|
|
| News |
23 September 2006
| Todays News : |
so, to those in the know heres the official retirement statement.......to others this may come as a suprise.......but its been coming!!After many years of lifting, driving, sitting, listening, hoping,laughing,cursing and tiredness the decision has been made, and implemented, to reduce the working effects on the brain and body of running and operating a sizable sound system. I have much left to do in life, and as it stood i would manage to read a sunday paper barely 6 times a year on a sunday!!...and get to a beach for surfing twice.........and lifes for enjoying, rather than dieing for, so i'm off for 6 months to do some proper world travel, rest and take a look around as to whats going on out there in the real world. Plans are that i will return to involve myself in projects that interest me, continuing event production management, and an occassional engineering stint, on tour, for any of those who would wish to use my skills.
Its been a great 26 years, and its probably best to get out whilst one is still being offered work - this year has been just amazing as far as festivals and concerts go, and the work has been of such a high quality........and much love and thanks has to go to rob, neville and matt for their input, graft, skill and grace under some serious pressure, throughout the 19 hour days we have been running through.
now is not the time to expound the trials and tribulations of the work and ethic of some promoters, but it will come, when time has passed thoughtfully.........
I can only be thankful and happy that the sound business is still in good hands, Chris(from Blast .P.A.) who has acquired the assets of the Spadger Sound business has the right frame of mind, understanding ad vision of sound to take the 'acoustic and folk' sound music business a further step forward. Though young, he ha already proved his worth working for Spadger under 'interesting' conditions, and i can wholeheartedly recommend his work......and the equipment has been sounding so sweet of recent, it would have been a shame to split it all up, and disintegrate the years of knowledge and skill that produced the sound, which for many is the benchmark of sound provision at festivals.
Spoadger (John's) last gig with the big rig bringsthe work full circle....i learn my skills in Cheltenham Town Hall......an acoustic hole if ever there was one, and was tempted into the music business, firstly as a musician, and then an engineer, by watching Decamaron (from my local town ) playing on stages and earning money doing whati saw was a great job!!........so finish where i, and it all began.....starange how these things just are meant to be....oh and its on October 21st.........
So i will write a more fulsome screed at a later date, but i wish to thank all of the people i have worked with, for, or alongside for their fun, knowledge, help foresight, and love.
speak/write when i can, and thankyou
john xxx
PRESS RELEASE
BPAS acquire Sound Services from Spadger
After 26 years covering the UK with public address systems John Eeles has decided to retire from box moving and 25 hour days!!. During that period he has built a reputation for providing acoustic music with a product and service that was second to none. John will now take a sabbatical until April 2007 before returning to re-engage Spadger’s Event Management and “white gloving”. Clients on the other hand will be pleased to learn that the high standards he set will not be lost.
He has personally selected 19 year old Chris Thornton-Smith of BPAS to carry on the good work for many years to come. As of October 22nd, BPAS will acquire all the PA rigs that have graced so many festivals and events with the opportunity to add the same engineers to their existing team. Chris is already well known for his work to date at Bridgnorth, Middlewich and Shrewsbury Festivals as well as on stage as guitarist with Kerfuffle. BPAS is a family partnership with Pete and Liz Thornton-Smith providing the necessary business support.
John adds, “Being both a musician and a sound engineer Chris understands the requirements of all concerned and has already demonstrated that he can deliver the required level of service. I trust him to do the business for many years to come and would recommend his abilities and ethic to you. I see it as passing the torch to the next generation of engineers who have the folk and acoustic music world at heart.” Chris can be contacted on 01709 739093, 07761 565061 or blastpa@hotmail.com. Pete can be contacted on 07732 300686 or pts@barrel.demon.co.uk.
Peter will be at Spadger’s final gig on October 21st at Cheltenham Town Hall and both Chris and Pete will be at the AFO Conference in November 10- 12th in Telford where they look forward to meeting clients old and new. John meanwhile would like to thank all of you who have engaged Spadger over the years and wishes all his many friends and acquaintances well and hopes to catch up with you all somewhere ‘out there’ in the near future.
John Eeles
Pete Thornton-Smith
September 22nd
|
18 March 2005
| Todays News : |
hi folks, and a welcome from the shires.....i'm really just passing by to say hi, its looking busy, lots to do and no time to do it!....apart from having a real good chortle at this missive from the australian tourist board info site, kindly sent to me by a like minded silly person, enjoy.....but beware you may need a hankerchief and bucket to avoid the floods from laughter .......
Some of these are great
The questions below about Australia are from potential visitors.
They were posted on an Australian Tourism Website and the answers are
the actual responses by the website officials, who obviously have a sense of
humour.
Q: Does it ever get windy in Australia? I have never seen it rain on TV,
how do the plants grow? (UK).
A: We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around watching
them die.
Q: Will I be able to see kangaroos in the street? (USA)
A: Depends how much you've been drinking.
Q: I want to walk from Perth to Sydney - can I follow the railroad
tracks? (Sweden)
A: Sure, it's only three thousand miles, take lots of water.
Q: Is it safe to run around in the bushes in Australia? (Sweden)
A: So it's true what they say about Swedes.
Q: Are there any ATMs (cash machines) in Australia? Can you send me a
list of them in Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville and Hervey Bay? (UK)
A: What did your last slave die of?
Q: Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Australia?
(USA)
A: A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe.
Aus-tra-lia is that big island in the middle of the Pacific which does
not... oh forget it. Sure, the hippo racing is every tuesday night in
Kings Cross. Come naked.
Q: Which direction is North in Australia? (USA)
A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees. Contact us when you get here
and we'll send the rest of the directions.
Q: Can I bring cutlery into Australia? (UK)
A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do.
Q: Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir schedule? (USA)
A: Aus-tri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y, which is...oh forget it.
Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Tuesday night in Kings Cross,
straight after the hippo races. Come naked.
Q: Can I wear high heels in Australia? ( UK)
A: You are a British politician, right?
Q: Are there supermarkets in Sydney and is milk available all year
round? (Germany)
A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of vegan hunter/gatherers. Milk is
illegal.
Q: Please send a list of all doctors in Australia who can dispense
rattlesnake serum. (USA)
A: Rattlesnakes live in A-meri-ca which is where YOU come from. All
Australian snakes are perfectly harmless, can be safely handled and
make good pets.
Q: I have a question about a famous animal in Australia, but I forget
its name. It's a kind of bear and lives in trees. (USA)
A: It's called a Drop Bear. They are so called because they drop out of
Gum trees and eat the brains of anyone walking underneath them. You can
scare them off by spraying yourself with human urine before you go out
walking.
Q: Do you have perfume in Australia? (France)
A: No, WE don't stink.
Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can you
tell me where I can sell it in Australia? (USA)
A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.
Q: Can you tell me the regions in Tasmania where the female population
is smaller than the male population? (Italy)
A: Yes, gay nightclubs.
Q: Do you celebrate Christmas in Australia? (France)
A: Only at Christmas.
Q: I was in Australia in 1969 on R+R, and I want to contact the girl I
dated while I was staying in Kings Cross. Can you help? (USA)
A: Yes, and you will still have to pay her by the hour.
Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? (USA)
A: Yes, but you'll have to learn it first
|
2 November 2004
| Todays News : |
Blink and one finds all the good aspirations of keeping the site spruced up, clean and clear of cobwebs falls apart!!…. still it’s not as if we’ve been lying in the sun watching the surf…. Oh no! it’s been a little hectic, and only now is it quiet enough to even find the desk let alone a computer!
Still, regards to you all, and ta for venturing here…..ok so we fitted in 18 (yes I counted) festivals this year…. and not all just odd days at a weekend, so we’ve probably been away in fields for 3 months overall, and that’s not accounting for the one offs and Brass Monkey tour…. but much fun, and nothing if not a bit of hard work. The links page will help tell you where we’ve been so I’ll not go on, but with all of this the one thing one is aware of is the number of times we see the same bands or musos doing the rounds, you’d believe there were only about 20 musical combinations available to book throughout the country!
Anyway some of the work has been just great, especially Paco Pena in Salisbury Cathedral for 2 days (Rob – a star)..and some impressive work at Spydafest, Sidmouth and Wallingford Bunkfest. And we are all just chewing our feet over the demise of Sidmouth…a very sad, bad, and unnecessary loss (just what is that town and council about????) Spaces to watch on that front…..but don’t hold your breathe about it being in Sidmouth…..!
This season Spadger has again decided to venture into football team sponsorship and we are now proud to be emblazoned all across the fronts of the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League Division two side STAUNTON AND CORSE, the team most local to us , and their going great guns thus far…..website for news and reports (and fixtures – do feel free too……) www.staunton-corsefc.net/
The sad news of John Peels death has been shock, and I can only say he’ll be so very badly missed, unreplacable, and the real end of an era (and my early life’s soundtrack).
I know you’ll be hoping for some gripe about gear or shops or some such, but its been so busy we’ve not been able to find the cheque book to buy anything new since march, so no misbehaviour to report, as we know though, lashings of trouble and strife ahead know doubt, so just see this a the calm before the storm!
So its in to dark evenings time and rain and wind season, the BBC have thrown us to the Young Folk Awards again, which will always be a challenge!, and the year ends on a busy note doing a runnnel of one offs and Xmas shows, scuthering around the beleaguered market towns of southern england hopefully helping to bring a slice of festive cheer to little britain.
Oh and did you see ‘green wing’……great eh!
Ok this is getting silly now so I’m off, the Spadgeville crew all send their best wishes and hope to see you out there somwhere
John, rob and all
|
8 April 2004
| Todays News : |
And so, charging into the summer, 17 Festivals already in place and phone ringing off the hook!…..it’s going to be busy. So far it’s been a relaxed year, gearing up and bouncing in and out of gigs and events ……and the question to be asked in all seriousness is “where have all the smaller p.a.’s gone, and will they be replaced”….the amount of work out there for small biddy bits in arts centres, village halls, schools and clubs has diminished with the onset of lottery grants and impossible H&S and security issues BUT the number of smaller P.A. businesses available to cover those left, whom are competent, competitive and worthy has recently dropped off the scale…….the ‘big’ boys, with larger rigs and need for turnover are still there, indeed flourishing, but the market in which we still do an enormous amount of work continues to thrive, but there are fewer to support it. Either more become available (from where), fewer events will be able to be programmed, or those left will be running from pillar to post covering what they can, and having to up the prices to cover the extra staff and ongoing costs.
Tricky one, and a problem that seems to have become more exaggerated over the past 18 months…….opinions?
No manufacturer / Distributor gripes for now, everyone has been playing ball ( we’ll forget the problem with ‘carriers’ and suchlike)….but sure to have something to chew on soon, they never fail me!
So, hands full with organising our new Blues and Beyond festival at Easter in Stroud, then site managing the new ‘greenfield’ site for ‘Folk on the Pier’ in Cromer, Brass Monkey Tour, and then dashing to Salisbury to continue technical management of this years ‘bigger, brighter’ festival with 2 days of Paco Pena in the Cathedral and other delights, then a day off!!, really and on to Wimbourne…..then , well it continues apace….
Found myself on the board of the new FolkArts England, an overseeing body dealing with the many strands of ‘folk’ music being born at this time…..developments await, and on an event production side, the new ‘security….what is a steward’ trauma that is quietly falling into place across the U.K looks (at this time) to be a horror story awaiting all of us that are involved with using ‘volunteer’ staff for our festivals and events…..if they are not ‘wholly’ and completely voluntary i.e. not even given a ticket or suchlike for here services all is well, if not……………….they could be enforced to have compulsory ‘training’ at some cost, and whats that going to do for these types of events????…….we await……
Ok off to the phone, hope you all keep well and see you out there.
John, Rob, Neville, Matt (and sometime Steve)
p.s. Very sad to see ‘Jonah Jones’has succumbed to his illness, he will be missed by many.
|
26 September 2003
| Todays News : |
Now, lots to spout about, and a story or two to unsettle the most placid of people. Recounted to me on entering the joys of Sidmouth, having just finished a remarkable tour with ‘Suuf’, this sums up what is just so unpalatable about some of the engineering ‘staff’ littering our shores……..A Mr D.T.., engineer for an excellent Scottish band, whom will remain nameless, due to their excellence, descended into such an unpleasant, uncalled for and abject rant concerning provision of P.A., personnel and gig work, it left my staff willing to commit unlawful deeds and wondering as to how the person still succeeded in getting any work. Long cut short, this ‘person’ having been effective, pleasant, and all that could be wished for as a guest engineer, turned to the bottle, in a frantic and speedy way. Having already agreed to get him out of a somewhat tricky situation that befell him – namely agreeing to drive him from Sidmouth to Weymouth overnite to catch a ferry – this is a member of our crew doing this for him – he spent the nite hours between gig end and 4.00am, being abusive, unpleasant, drunk and boorish to anyone he could collar. Not content with just finding a spot to sleep or rest, he kept the crew up all nite, cranking up his unfortunate personality disorder, on them, their work, our work and all around’s work!!…..he was taken to the ferry, not before time, by one of our crew, who’d thankfully escaped his boring clutches, who had to be briefed as to the ongoings taken place before, and hoped the offender would just get bored with his own voice on the journey.
Strange that someone could be so visceral in the company of the very people helping him through his own personal trouble, and talk about Jekell and Hyde personality….very, very unpleasant, just make sure he never gets in sight of a drink if he appears at a show near you….. and MR D.T. will find himself outed from any of our shows from now, and best beware the chattering of others,……were a small community, and that sort of behaviour is crass and unnecessary.
Still, to lighter, fluffier things, what a cracking summer. Having thought the weather was gone in May, it returned with knobs on, and stayed to make all our outdoor events a joy to work. Priddy was wonderful again, Salisbury an unmitigating success – Ravi was a wonder, Sidmouth, Towersey, Stroud Fringe et al. Highlites include ‘Bedlam’ turning the Sidmouth LNE anthem ‘Horny’ into their end of show meisterwork and bringing the house down, a cracking ‘Bebeto’ at the English Heritage National Festival at Stoneliegh, the TUC conference party nite with Bobby Valentino, ‘8 Ball Groove’ at Lydney, ‘Altan’ at Stroud.
Our outing at the ‘Cecil Sharp Centenary’ Festival at Hambridge, was joyous, and credit to all whom pulled the show and the music together, ‘Suuf’, as already mentioned were a memorable collaboration, and we could hope for more in the future.
Finally met up with John Gosland, of Orchid Electronics, who has supplied our D.I. boxes for years, and a real pleasure to spend some time chewing the cud down in Exeter. Check out his range of electronic gadgetry, its all worth owning! (www.orchid-electronics.co.uk)
Others to heap praise upon include db audio, form Nailsworth, who lent Stroud Fringe Festival a definitive system with all the trimmings for us to use in the acoustic s*hole that is the Subscription Rooms. And with all the delays and flying and coverage it worked a treat and make the ‘sound’ experience a joy from John Otway to Pete McCarthy. A big thankyou to them for all their input
Autmn creeps in, and a sporadic choice of gigs around the South creep by…..BBC Young Folk Awards in London looms, and good luck to all those who are entering the competion. No Jersey this year, just a quick shimmy over to Germany, here’s to all of you who have passed by and best wishes.
John and the crew.
|
29 April 2003
| Todays News : |
Hiya, and here we are at last with an updated website and some new info and photos.....hope you enjoy.
So the year bounces along with some unexpected and 'different' news form various places.
Firstly we (Spadger/John/Rob) have been pleased to be nominated for a GRAMMY award for the live recording of a track on ANOUSHKA SHANKA'S live album'Live at Carnegie Hall'.....which strangely also encompasses a track we recorded at Salisbury Festival in 2001!!
Ref Angel Records 7243 5 34922 2 9
Bit of a bonus this, being that it sits in an album made in the USA!
Co-incidentally we'll be doing sound again for both herself and RAVI SHANKAR at the Salisbury Festival again this year!
On to more mundane thoughts, indeed boiling fury!!let me mention the music product company BEHRINGER to you and say how amazingly, corruptly USELESS this company is within the UK for warranty service of goods that are faulty. Long cut short, desk goes bang, 7 gigs in, goes to ProLine for mend, returned still no phantom, ask germany for ideas, they will not release any diagrams, impossible to mend here and it is a CHARGABLE cost if send back to Proline. This is NOT what customer service is about, far less being unlawful, given that they sell so many products over here and refuse to abide by the consumer laws of this and other European countries that dictate the need for guarantee service, free as part of warranty. This must be illegal!.and yet they persist.....BEWARE any of you who fall for buying their products you could be badly stung.....so far the cost of repairs is astronomical..even on a Friday Desk!! Avoid at all costs.
Shetlands not happening for us this year, shame, can't remember the last gig we did'nt return too, because we did the job so well!!!!, funding cuts, bizzarre management decisions (and i mean really strange) and a lack of any understanding of our job and duties. Still hope it goes well and presume they'll reinvent the whell for a fourth year next time!!
Cromer looms, then of to a manic Salisbury, its hotting upand needs to given the lack of full on work of late..still given me time to become squarer eyed filling in funding application forms for Stroud Fringe Festival!!Summer seems to have come and gone!, and lovely it was to, enough to breakout warthogs in the desert over here in the West Country!.....so i'll be back with more news, but look out for a tour in July with a band called 'SUUF'. brilliant
And in passing our SPADGER sponsored football team, with Spadger on the shirts has reached the County Cup Final for the second year, and plays on May 3rd, hope we win again!!.....i have a shirt and all!!!
ok of to the phone, best wishes to all and have a good spring, John |
8 January 2003
| Todays News : |
Happy New Year to you all, and heres to 2003!!
Well, the last past months have seen a right royal slew of work.
While and Matthews, St Agnes Fountain, Battlefield, Johnny Coppin and general bits and pieces have all been worked through. Our most interesting work revolved around doing the sound for the BBC 2 ‘YOUNG FOLK AWARDS’ at the Union Chapel, for Smooth Operations. Recorded for broadcast ‘live’, this show went just as well as is possible, and my thanks must go for the exemplary work done by Rob and Matt on monitors and stage. Ably assisted by the production staff headed by Kit Bailey. A smooth, glitch free event, but not without the possibility of a trauma here and there, which revolved around the spurious and disconcerting way the power decided to trip for no apparent reason. Problem solved for the show, but for no known reason – and has appeared since I believe! A great show with Carmina in Bristol, with guest Andy Sheppard, and the wonders of sound rigs on carol floats for the local Rotary!
This year sees a number of the usual adventures taking place, and in February I’m off to do Brass Monkey again across the U.K.
A new digital camera affords us the chance to start adding piccies of events and people we encounter during the year, and when we get the new webpage sorted (sometime this year-rob) the full glories of us at work or gazing across fields, dales and sea will be available.
Currently its minus whatever here in Glos.and were huddled over the candle sorting the year out, hope we’ll meet up with some of you ‘net’ loiterers somewhere, and wishing you all the best.
John
|
11 September 2002
| Todays News : |
No clue as to whats been in the air of recent, but whatever it is bring it on every 'summer'!Great gigs, wonderful artists, (some) good weather, and many miles on the milometer.......highlights include FABBA at Kentwell Hall, Shooglenifty at Sidmouth and Stroud, some great comments on our work and sound on various news boards and only 4 hf drivers and an amp poorly!!Bought a sledge of new gear which is happily working away, and managed a week in Spain as holiday!!Run out of fingers counting the number of Festivals we've been too, lots new, and plenty with piccies to savour - our Sidmouth and Kentwell trip, photied by various of us is up at www.angelstorm.co.uk/photos, Priddy is up on www.approachww.com/PriddyFiles/2002/index.htm
and Shetland on www.sffs.shetland.co.uk so go grab a look......into Autumn, and trips to Devon on the cards, tourets here and there, and a quick fly to Scotland to do Glenn Miller Orchest, Jersey Festival looms, and a lovely break on the cards, and then ....more of the same thanks to Rob, Chris, Matt, James and all the rest of the crews for their unstinting hard work...- oh and Spadger has sponsored our local Under 16 footie team, and has the Shirts to prove it - await a photo!!, speak again soon, John |
19 April 2002
| Todays News : |
| now you may be wondering why its been so long BUT......i did post a full news update in January but i got lost in the ether so...anyway just to catch up, eratically busy, all through the autumn and the spring - highlites have included Bras Monkeys tour, Cheltenham Folk Festival, Jersey, Glenn Miller Orchestra, and a little E2K along with Little Johnny England......plus bibs and bobs all over the place.were now just off to celebrate with the good folk on Shetland, careering around the islands p.aing and twiddling and what a fine guest list too se e their website, we usually get on and off the ferry (14 hrs) and can't remember what has happened!, but presumably breakfast at 7am at the Harbour cafe will occur, and too little sleep..but much work and play know doubt. Further on its off to Cromer for the Festival on the Pier, then Salisbury Festival, at which i'm production manager again, and the usual 'fun' is being encounterd, this also covers world cup time and the Jubilee events , and we've been snowed under by local authorities and groups seeking kit all over the West - hope they find some! Furthewr on its Priddy, Wimbourne, Sidmouth, Kentwell and a bit of Maddy P. Hope you've taken all that in, i'm off to pack! see you wherever soon John |
30 August 2001
| Todays News : |
| 'tis the end of August already and Festivals and gigs have come and gorn.......Stroud next , then Jersey - been cracking the whip at Sidmouth - a week of weather up and downs, and some fine acts- Rob and Chris went to Kentwell Hall to spend 2 weekends loitering outdoors with orchestras, Glen Miller Orch, Tribute bands and Jazz - weather held and all went well. Scrambled in to Cropredy to twiddle for Brass Monkey - a good time and the rain held off for them too!! spotted all the usual suspects - bit like doing Martin Cartys Oxford bash all over again!I'm picking up my bass for a one off Beer festival bash on Sat.(1st) in Ashelworth - The Boat - the finest drinkery this side of Yorkshire(and my local!)one rehearsal should see us through! just hope England wins beforehand! Keep you posted see ya John |
5 July 2001
| Todays News : |
Well weve been busy, and not enough time to go on and on and on about all our excurtions but..........
at least we're having some sort of summer, the suns out, we're indoors!, hot sticky, pale! but at least rain drops hve kept away (so much better for the gear!) catch you in the (huh!) summer lull after Sidmouth, be good, John E |
5 July 2001
16 January 2001
| Todays News : |
And so we enter the sodden expanse of winter, it’s been a while back here due to either not being here or ferreting around the computer on more pressing issues!
A long summer interspersed with sun (but not a lot) and most of the attractions attended by the ‘boxes’ were suprisingly dry, no foreign trips, but a catalogue of Festival administration, sports events, sound systems and environment liaison. The P.A. side of life was feast or famine, ticked along happily and suffered no traumas. Both Stroud and Jersey Festivals were unqualified successes and turned a profit, and were deemed fantastic events by those whom attended – roll on next year. To which end I have taken over the helm in Jersey and will be rattling around over there a little more often.
My role with Chameleon Audio has progressed to becoming a one/two-day a week marketing hound, along with various demo’s and the products do seem to be finding very favourable reviews and happy end users.
I have pulled out of Management of artists for the time, conditions for live acts are in a parlous state and returns for all parties frugal and uninspired – Both Daily Planet and Carmina continue servicing themselves.
Interest in Environmental noise issues and general Health and Safety has seen the role of advisor to events suffering from the rapid increase in restrictions from local authority agencies beating a path to our door, and one senses there is further work in this area – knowledge of both technical and administrative sides of events helps us liase rather more knowledgeably with these people than your average production or event manager and our role within this side of the industry is set to rise.
A list of goodies for sale from the Spadger vaults follows this, all working but not used enough so………..
We are hoping for a dryer 2001, and a bit of snow if possible, so as to get the sledge out, a happy Xmas and Ney Year to all and sundry, after the hectic December (with Albion Band / Johhny Coppin / Katherine Tickell ) our next event is Cheltenham Folk Festival – see you there?
Best Wishes John
FOR SALE DEC 2000
MONITORS
5 X MEGA / SSS 15” X 1” 2X BULLETS WEDGES 500WATT – CARPET COVERED BLACK /ALY TRIM EACH £300.00
1 X WEATHERSTONE AUDIO PASSIVE DRUMFILL 1000WATT 2 X 15” , 1 X 12” CO-AXIAL WITH 1” HORN CARPET COVERED/WHEELED/ALYTRIM £650.00
4 X WETHERSTONE AUDIO 300 WATT Tayden TLS 12” + 1” HORN- BIRCH PLY PAINTED EACH £200.00
DESKS
SOUNDCRAFT 500 32/8/2 1 X PSU, FLIGHTCASED £1500.00
SOUNTRACS SOLO LIVE 24/4/2 +2X STEREO INPUTS FLITECASED 1 X PSU £1650.00
SOUNTRACS 12/2 FLITECASED £300.00
STUDIOMASTER STAGEMIX 24/8 FLIGHTCASED £450.00
SPEAKER SYSTEMS
2 X 12” WEATHERSTONE AUDIO/ COAXIAL FULL RANGE 500WATT CARPET/ALY TRIM / TOPHAT PAIR £450.00
ACCESSORIES
20 X BOOM MIKE STANDS – VARIOUS Mostly Beyer- - NO CLIPS FROM £10.00
EFFECTS UNITS
LEXICON LX1
LEXICON LX5
LEXICON MRC VERSION 4 MIDI CONRTROLLER
FLIGHTCASED (Silver Kaat case 19inch) £775.00
All Transformer and leads. 240v power supply
SPX 90 MK1 £145.00
ALESIS QUADRAVERB £130.00
MICROPHONES
5X SHURE SM58 (2NDHAND AND USED!) FROM £ 35.00
2 X AKG D190 £35.0
AMPLIFIERS
2 X CROWN MACRO-TECH 2400 850WATT – 4OHM per chan EACH £ 550.00
2 X C-AUDIO SR404 400WATT – 4 OHM per chan EACH £ 310.00
3 X CHEVIN A 2000 750WATT – 4 OHM per chan EACH £ 575.00
1 X CHEVIN A 1000 600WATT - 4OHM per chan £450.00
1 X CARVER PM 1.5 600WATT – 4 OHM per chan £ 350.00
1 X HZ AUDIO DPX 1000 500WATT – 4OHM per chan £250.00
GRAPHIC EQUALISERS
5 X YAMAHA 2031 2 X 31 BAND EQUALISERS EACH £330.00
ALL PLUS VAT
|
5 June 2000
| Todays News : |
And hello to anyone out there, and my what a busy time we’ve just had!!. Firstly across the UK. With BRASS MONKEY, 7 very successful gigs all over the country, and well received by all and sundry, just shows the old timers still know how to cut the rug!
Then over to Ireland for a weeks tour from Letterkenny to Midleton and back with Carmina, lots of driving, great views and fun with it all.
Rob returned from Barbados, slightly less pale than us winter people having had a full on 3 weeks of just about everthing you can get on a stage and with word that everthing is just so expensive over there!
Then the whole shooting match launched up to do our 13th Shetland Folk Festival, and a great time had by all, indeed possibly the second best of the lot so far, hail to all those who made it so great – the Felsons and Rolf for two!
Back home for a couple of days then off to Jersey to help mastermind the Festival and spot the new St James hall venue just opened, great to catch up with the folks there and looking good for future ‘high life’ on the island.
Salisbury Festival next and 2 hard weeks of stage and production management rounding off with being parachuted into the production management job for Nigel Kennedy in the 6000 seated outdoor auditorium built outside the Cathedral – that was exhausting to say the least! Before that I’d stage managed the BBC Music Live event from the Market Square and then rolled on to help with Carmina Burana for the Beeb which was relayed live from the Cathedral Close stage and seen across Britain in all is glory – and it was amazing, congrats to all at Salisbury ‘specially Geraldine and Debby for there hard work and Helen for her vision – sadly leaving at the end of the Festival.
I’ve been appointed marketing liason for CHAMELEON AUDIO a company building amplifiers and other sound equipment in the Forest of Dean which will see us demonstrating product thro out the UK and helping build their sales profile, for more info the web address is www.chameleonaudio.co.uk, check them out!
That’s all for the moment – its still raining interesting and challenging work, just up our street – so I’ll be back with more moments to enjoy a little later -John
|
24 March 2000
| Todays News : |
So another chance to wander on and on about whats going on and where we’ve been. Since the last news I’ve been involved with shows for Cannon and Ball (remember them!) at the Bristol Hippodrome, along with Johnny Ball the next day and a show for kids about Maths!, much fun but earplugs are now worn out.
Robs in Barbados…… no news …presume he’s having all the fun, and will know doubt pay for it one way or another when he returns methinks!!! Cheltenham Folk Festival was well attended, and I have to admit to getting a pretty decent sound in that barn for the ‘turns’ over the w/e. Rob did a great job in the ‘pillar’ room and was rightly praised by all for the job done, you know the one 18 acts on thro-out the day, no meaningful soundchecks and an audience who expext the best…well seems they got it.
Brass Monkey’s tour starts Wednesday 29th March so I shall be zooping across the country twiddling and rigging, and then straight of to Ireland with Carmina, for whom I have just spent a week in Christchurch Studios Bristol, producing their new album….. and the roughs do sound as if it’s going to be a wonderful album. Great band of muso’s, so very talented and a joy to work with – there website is www.carmina.co.uk for more info.
Still available for Festival dates during the summer so if anyone needs an engineer or PA do get in contact.
Modal in Sheffield was hard work, but succesful, some great showcase acts on, and great to catch up with so many people not spotted for years.
Watch out for news on upcoming working deal with Cameleon, the electronics company who make great amps (I use them) which will see an involvement in demoing product and fronting marketing drives, all v. interesting.
Still time to clock off, thanks for coming by, see you ………………….
John
|
14 January 2000
| Todays News : |
Hello and welcome to SPADGER’s first news page.
News from the camp includes confirmation that we will again be involved in supplying P.A.’s to SHETLAND, CHELTENHAM, STROUD, JERSEY, and CHIPPING CAMPDEN Festivals again this year. The FEZ NOZ at Thoresby Notts. is a new addition to our years activities, and a strong suspicion prevails that we will be confirming most or all of last years Festival events over the course of the next month.
We are currently negotiating to send some staff out to BARBADOS !!!!!!to help oversee a 3 week mini Fest, and I’ll not be going (huh what it is to be a boss!!!) ‘cos I shall be travelling the length and breadth of the UK ‘doing’ BRASS MONKEY on tour (MAR-APRIL) Following that I shall be in IRELAND for 9 days touring with CARMINA before getting stuck into the Easter Festival frenzy.
Some of you may be wondering why we have no pages of ‘gear’ the Company uses spread across this site. Well the nature of our work precludes any possibility of having specific ‘rigs’, everything mix and matches, and lists of gear are of use only for anoraks whom would wish to talk boringly technical about knobs and buttons - so we don’t go there!. It’s not what you got it’s the way that you use it!
I shall be up in GLASGOW at the A.F.O. (Assoc. of Fest. Org) and Celtic Connections, end of January, where I am chairing a seminar concerning the perceived increase in volume at Festivals over recent years and the trouble that causes! if you’re there look me up.
I shall also be at the MODAL conference in SHEFFIELD, end of FEB. specifically ‘ sounding’ for Carmina who are one of the showcase artists, see ya there.
General gossip thin on the ground at present, everyone seems flu laden – not here yet, cross fingers, but T.V moments of recent have included seeing Chris Hall, the Cajun accordion player with any number of roots bands playing with Paul McCartney on the ‘Tube’ show from Newcastle. ‘Eastenders’ also had a very visible poster of ‘SWAP’ the Anglo / Swedish band in one of the café windows – great advertising!!.
We have some gear for sale: one SOUNDCRAFT 500 32/8/2 desk, and a STUDIOMASTER 24/8 monitor console as a started for ten, both f/cased - offers?
That’s all folks
Thanks for looking by, John 14/1/00
|
|
|
|
